I've never known anyone called Opie. It has to be a nickname, but for what? Please help--it's driving me nuts!

I dont know, but his real name is Ronny Howard. I think Opey or Opie is his real first name on TAGS.

Opie was his real name on the show, as far as I know it was not short for anything. I did, back in 1983, have a kid on my little league team that I coached whos name was Opie. That is the only real life Opie I ever heard of

The character name "Opie" was named after Opie Cates, a bandleader that Sheldon Leonard and Andy Griffith both liked. No one seems to know if Mr. Cates was named that by his parents of if his initials were O P Cates and this morphed into Opie. But in any event, Mr. Cates wound up using "Opie" as his first name. Here is a link (http://www.bsnpubs.com/kingl.html) that mentions him.

We also know for sure that Opie Taylor spelled his name "Opie" because we see it spelled in a love letter to Miss Crump in an episode titled "Opie loves Helen". There are other sightings of the Opie spelling in the show.


[This message has been edited by Perderabo (edited 10-14-2000).]

Perderabo,
THANK YOU! This has been driving me and a friend nuts!
Cheers,
rick_marshall@credence.com

Originally posted by Perderabo:
The character name "Opie" was named after Opie Cates, a bandleader that Sheldon Leonard and Andy Griffith both liked. No one seems to know if Mr. Cates was named that by his parents of if his initials were O P Cates and this morphed into Opie. But in any event, Mr. Cates wound up using "Opie" as his first name. Here is a link (http://www.bsnpubs.com/kingl.html) that mentions him.

We also know for sure that Opie Taylor spelled his name "Opie" because we see it spelled in a love letter to Miss Crump in an episode titled "Opie loves Helen". There are other sightings of the Opie spelling in the show.


[This message has been edited by Perderabo (edited 10-14-2000).]